Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will not campaign for EU exit

Newly elected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has finally come out to say that he will not be campaigning to leave the European Union nor will the Labour party back a Brexit.

Speaking to BBC in what the TV station described as his first 'proper interview since winning the leadership', Corbyn said that while Labour policy under his leadership was still "developing", he could not foresee a situation where Labour would campaign for a Brexit.

"I want to see a social Europe, a cohesive Europe, a coherent Europe, not a free market Europe."

- Jeremy Corbyn, newly-elected Labour leader

Corbyn said that he envisaged making the UK's continued membership of the EU a manifesto commitment for the 2020 election. The opposition leader told the BBC that staying in the EU, even if it meant staying in to change it, would be in Labour's manifesto. When asked if he could ever foresee campaigning to leave the EU, he said: "No, I don't see that position."

Since his election to the top opposition job on Saturday, he has not come out categorically to rule out campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, despite some of his shadow cabinet members and MPs backing the UK to remain in the bloc.

Corbyn has said that Prime Minister David Cameron should not be given a "blank cheque" in talks over the UK's membership into the regional bloc ahead of any future referendum on whether London should or should not remain in the EU.

"What I remain opposed to is the idea that David Cameron could go around and give up workers' rights, give up environmental protection, give up a whole load of things that are very important."

- Jeremy Corbyn

Any changes secured by Cameron must be the right ones, he said. Corbyn said that he wanted the EU to change direction and move away from the increasingly market-driven model, he claims it had adopted in the past 20 years.

"We are having discussions to sort this question out. Basically, on the question of Europe, I want to see a social Europe, a cohesive Europe, a coherent Europe, not a free market Europe.

"That is a developing position. It is not a problem, we have had that discussion, we are continuing that discussion, there will be very clear statements coming out in the very near future."

Corbyn promises 'manifesto commitment to stay in EU up until 2020' even if he doesn't like the deal that the Cameron comes back with

BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg who conducted the interview, later wrote that what surprised her was Corbyn's new stance on the EU.

"He says it's not a change of heart, but his position on the EU has now changed and is clear. Days ago, he refused to assure colleagues he'd never campaign to leave the EU. Tonight, he came up with a new position," she said.